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Senate Indian Affairs Committee holds field hearing in Oklahoma

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) is a new member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Photo from Facebook

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is going back on the road next week with a field hearing in Oklahoma.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), a new member of the Senate, will chair the hearing. He will focus on the successes of Indian- and tribally-owned businesses in the Sooner State.

Oklahoma is home to 39 tribes and Native Americans represent 9 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite the strong tribal presence, the hearing marks the first time in recent history that the committee has come to the state.

The hearing takes place at 4:30pm on May 27 at the Anadarko High School Auditorium in Anadarko. Native Americans represent nearly 49 percent of the population in the city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The witness list follows:

Mr. Sean Kouplen
Chairman and CEO, Regent Bank, Chairman of the Board of OneFire Holdings, Tulsa, OK
Ms. Pamela Huddleston Bickford
President and CEO, Cherokee Data Solutions, Claremore, OK
Mr. Dennis Ruttman
CEO and Superintendent, Caddo Kiowa Tech Center, Ft. Cobb, OK
Ms. Dottie Overal
District Director, Small Business Administration, Oklahoma City, OK
Mr. Clark Southard, MSA, Lt. Col., US Army (Ret.)
Executive Director, Washita Valley Regional Partnership; Chairman, Oklahoma Southwest Alliance; and Vice Chairman, Delaware Nation Economic Development Authority, Chickasha, OK

Committee Notice:
Oversight Field Hearing on "Advancing Economic Success in Indian Country" (May 27, 2015)